Lynsey Burridge

Lynsey Burridge

Chair,

The National Association of Virtual School Heads

Lynsey began her career as an MFL teacher in Secondary Schools in Salford and Manchester, taking on various management roles over the years before moving into a post in a Safeguarding Children Unit where she supported schools with Child in Need and Child Protection processes. She moved over to Trafford in 2007 to take on the role of education lead at the Youth Offending Service. In 2014 Lynsey was asked to pick up the role of Virtual School Head in addition to her role at the YOS but it quickly became clear that setting up a new Virtual School was a full time job! Lynsey found it an exciting opportunity to start work as a Virtual School Head at a time when the role was made statutory and Virtual School Head's were given responsibility for the management of the Pupil Premium Grant. Five years on her team has grown to double figures with specialists such as an Educational Psychologist, Speech and Language Therapist, Careers Adviser, Mental Health Practitioner and Education Welfare Officer as well as primary and secondary school teachers. Lynsey has also been involved in the work of the National Association of Virtual School Heads for a number of years, first as North-West representative on the Board, then as Vice Chair and soon to be Chair. This work has given her the opportunity to meet senior leaders in Ofsted, School Commissioners, colleagues in the DfE and even Ministers to promote the education of looked after children. Lynsey is a proud Corporate Parent and believes passionately in the life changing potential of a good education in its widest sense.

Evaluating Pupil Premium Plus interventions that maximise outcomes and address challenges facing looked after and previously looked after children

Assessing how to deliver enhanced mental health and wellbeing support for looked after children through schools

Exploring how Virtual School Heads can support schools to evaluate Pupil Premium provision and improve the effectiveness of interventions